My Queen, My Rules - 56

Sweet

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Ji Mingshu’s clothes were stained with red wine. When Cen Sen went to buy the pork ribs, she didn’t follow him out of the car.

By the time Cen Sen returned, the Bentley was speeding straight for Mingshui Manor.

Evening had fallen. The snow had stopped, leaving the sky a heavy, dusky blue-grey, the light faint. On the lake island, trees and greenery were blanketed in white. Streetlights curving along the road cast a soft glow. Ji Mingshu suddenly realized this was the first time she had seen Mingshui Manor in the snow.

Back home, Cen Sen carried the supermarket bags to the kitchen island.

Ji Mingshu glanced at the wine stain on her clothes, called out to him, and hurried upstairs to shower.

Before her shower, she stood in front of the wardrobe holding her sleepwear, agonizing over it for a full five minutes.

She kept holding different pieces against herself, dissatisfied with each one. Buttercup yellow was too juvenile, burgundy too sexy, full-coverage pajama sets too conservative, and lace-trimmed chemises seemed too eager, like she was just handing herself over on a platter—not demure in the slightest.

After some thought, she picked out a few options, took photos, and sent them to the group chat to get Jiang Chun and Gu Kaiyang’s opinions.

Gu Kaiyang was still playing dead, but Jiang Chun replied immediately.

Jiang Chun: [The green one is nice, but why are you asking? Are you throwing a pajama party? When? I wanna go!]

Ji Mingshu ignored the second half: [What green one?]

Jiang Chun: [Isn't the second one green?]

Ji Mingshu: [...That’s clearly haze blue. Are you colorblind?]

Ji Mingshu: [Forget it. I must be insane to ask for your opinion.]

Jiang Chun: [Smol, weak, and helpless.jpg]

Somehow, they devolved into their daily round of meme wars. Midway through the battle, Jiang Chun finally sensed something off—the background in Ji Mingshu’s photos was way too upscale, clearly not Gu Kaiyang’s little pigeon coop!

She pressed the point several times, but Ji Mingshu dodged and weaved, refusing to give a straight answer.

Gu Kaiyang, who had been silently lurking, finally couldn’t take it anymore and surfaced.

Gu Kaiyang: [What does it matter what you wear? It’s all coming off anyway.]

The group chat plunged into abrupt silence.

Thirty seconds later, Jiang Chun began spamming.

Jiang Chun: [Wahhh I’m just an innocent little baby goose!]

Jiang Chun: [What did I do to deserve having my pure mind polluted like this?!]

Jiang Chun: [I suspect you two are being obscene and I have evidence!]

...

No one paid her any mind.

Having spoken the undeniable truth, Gu Kaiyang muted her phone and set the group to Do Not Disturb.

Ji Mingshu, meanwhile, swiftly threw her phone aside, pressing her hands to her burning-hot cheeks, trying to cool them down.

It was so strange. The moment Gu Kaiyang said that, the little deer in her heart started crashing around blindly in a full 360-degree frenzy. She was too embarrassed to keep picking sleepwear now. She randomly grabbed one set and dashed into the bathroom.

Actually, what Gu Kaiyang said wasn’t wrong...

No! What am I thinking!

She slapped her cheeks firmly.

It’s all Gu Kaiyang’s fault! Devious! Vulgar!

Ji Mingshu: [Gu Kaiyang, you’re dead!]

An hour later, the bathroom was steamy. Having finished her shower, Ji Mingshu sat on the plush chair near the tub, meticulously applying body lotion with a light, clean camellia scent. She worked a matching hair oil into her strands, blew them dry, and let them fall loosely. Her long, slightly wavy black hair looked soft, fluffy, and effortlessly tousled.

Once ready, she stood in front of the full-length mirror, did a little twirl, then nodded, giving herself an approving look. Finally, she slicked on a layer of fruity lip balm.

By the time she went downstairs, Cen Sen’s cooking was in its final stages.

The braised pork ribs glistened a rich, reddish-brown. The pearl meatballs were plump and enticing. The blanched lettuce was a vibrant, dripping green. Delicious aromas filled the air.

Hands behind her back, she made a circuit of the dining table, then shuffled over to peek around the kitchen island. “Any more dishes?”

Wiping the knife blade, Cen Sen said, “Just a tomato and egg soup. It’s done. We can eat now.”

“Let me help you bring it out.”

Ji Mingshu volunteered. Having stayed at Gu Kaiyang’s for so long, she’d learned to do a tiny bit. At the very least, she now felt a little sheepish just waiting to be served.

Cen Sen slid the knife back into its block, his voice mild. “No need. I’ll do it.”

“Oh.” Ji Mingshu nodded obediently, then trailed behind Cen Sen like a little tail all the way to the dining table.

In truth, Ji Mingshu was restless by nature and loved lively meals. Unfortunately, Cen Sen had proper table manners and disliked talking while eating. The two of them could only sit at a right angle to each other, eating in silence, with even their chewing sounds faint.

But you could never guess what inappropriate thoughts a girl was thinking about when she looked quiet on the surface—like Ji Mingshu right now, elegantly nibbling a small rib while her mind ran wild with fantasies about post-dinner exercise.

Lost in thought, her foot under the table unconsciously swung a couple of times, accidentally brushing against the inside of Cen Sen’s calf.

She froze, the tip of her chopsticks between her teeth, and looked at him.

Cen Sen met her gaze, his expression calm. After a long moment, he suddenly said, “Eat first.”

…?

Ji Mingshu, who had been holding herself together just fine, felt her cheeks and neck rapidly heat up at his words. What did he mean? ‘Eat first’? Do I look that desperate?

She opened her mouth to explain but didn't know where to start. Besides, when you were the one with the guilty conscience, it was hard to act righteous. A mix of shame and indignation washed over her. She buried her face in her bowl and hurriedly finished her rice.

Really, when you got down to it, this was all Cen Sen’s fault.

Hinting so obviously in the car, letting her imagination run wild, then pulling a complete 180 at home, acting all stoic and unmoved by temptation! And after dinner, he actually had the nerve to clean the dishes! And after cleaning, he actually had the nerve to start a video conference!

Ji Mingshu curled up on the home theater sofa and waited. And waited. She felt her heart age in real time. All those suggestive thoughts gradually dissipated with the passing minutes and Cen Sen’s utter lack of initiative, slowly replaced by sheer irritation.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She suddenly stood up from the sofa and marched barefoot straight into the study.

Inside, Cen Sen was wearing Bluetooth headphones, wrapping up the conference. The door pushed open. He glanced up just in time to hear Ji Mingshu declare angrily, “I’m going to sleep!”

—Then she turned and stomped away.

A faint smile touched Cen Sen's lips. He lowered his gaze to the computer screen and continued his summary, albeit slightly faster. “The ROI on this segment is too low. Market compression is inevitable; it’s only a matter of time…”

The meeting participants collectively experienced a moment of… Huh? Did I just hallucinate? That can't be right—why would I suddenly hear a woman's voice from the CEO's end? So weird…

Before this bewilderment could settle, Cen Sen’s remarks drew to a close. “That’s all for today. Thank you for your work.”

The screen went black.

Cen Sen removed his headphones and stood, rolling his neck loosely.

Arriving at the bedroom door, he found Ji Mingshu, true to her vindictive nature, had locked it. A thought seemed to cross his mind, and that faint smile returned to his lips.

Back in the bedroom, Ji Mingshu hugged a pillow and sat cross-legged on the bed, waiting for movement at the door. After three minutes, a faint sound finally came from outside. Not too late, then.

She pricked up her ears, listening intently. But ten seconds passed. Twenty. Thirty… She began to doubt she’d heard anything at all.

That doesn’t make sense.

Why is it silent?

She held out a little longer but couldn’t resist. She moved the chair she’d wedged against the door and stealthily cracked it open a sliver.

The sliver widened. Eventually, her whole head was poked out into the empty, deserted hallway.

Ahhhhh! Cen Sen, you dog man, you absolute dead pig trotter! Either I hallucinated earlier, or this deadbeat found the door locked and just gave up! Either way, Cen-shi Sensen must die!!!

Ji Mingshu was furious. They’d both eaten the little ribs, so why was she the only one left yearning! She slammed the door shut with a loud bang, mentally hurling threats: Since you care so little about the ribs! Then you can just never have them again!!!

But the moment she turned around after slamming the door, she collided with a cool, firm chest.

Her mind went blank. Her heart nearly stopped from fright.

Catching her breath, still dazed, she stammered, “You… how did you get in… you scared me to death, you…”

Her gaze inadvertently fell on the wide-open door of the walk-in closet behind her. Sudden enlightenment dawned. Did he foresee this day and expand the closet to the upper floor for exactly this reason?

Cen Sen never wasted words on these matters. He merely let out a soft chuckle. While Ji Mingshu was still babbling non-stop, he had already pressed the person in his arms against the wall, one hand beside her ear, the other around her, and then he silenced her.

The lights in the room had been blazing brightly the whole time. Ji Mingshu reached out several times to turn them off, but not only did she fail, she ended up switching on lights that weren’t even on before. Eventually, Cen Sen stopped giving her the chance to fuss with the lights, effortlessly changing their position.

Ji Mingshu’s time away from home this time had been relatively long, and Cen Sen had accordingly been abstinent for just as long. While it couldn't compare to the two years in Australia, for some reason, his tolerance seemed to be diminishing with age.

Late into the night, snow began to fall over Mingshui Lake. The soft hush of falling snow mixed with the sound of water from the bathroom, becoming momentarily indistinguishable.

Ji Mingshu sat sulking in the bath, her back to Cen Sen, still incessantly urging him to go rinse his mouth. After her urging, she fanned her face with her hand, then covered it with both palms, deeply regretting not having properly learned the skill of holding her breath underwater as a child.

Cen Sen leaned against the vanity, the white shirt he’d thrown on haphazardly was askew, the buttons misaligned.

He glanced down at Ji Mingshu, a silent laugh escaping him. His eyes darkened with an unfathomable meaning. The pad of his thumb slowly swept across his lower lip, as if savoring the taste. Then the pad of his index finger swept back from the other side..

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